Jamaica is a independent country, part of the Antilles, located in the south of Cuba and west of the island of Hispaniola, territory of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The capital, Kingston, is a place wonderfully cosmopolitan and offers a variety of great cultural and historical attractions, as well as a vibrant nightlife. English is the main language, but many locals also speak Jamaican Patois.
The island of Jamaica is made up of mountains inland, surrounded by a narrow coastal plain. For this reason, all the major cities are located on the coast. The main cities are Kingston, the capital, and Montego Bay. Jamaica's climate is tropical, with hot and humid weather, although the land has a more temperate climate. Jamaican culture has been spread throughout the world through reggae and its most famous exponent, Bob Marley. It also shines through its sporting achievements in athletics, with champions such as Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. As for cuisine, Jamaica is strong in many specialties such as ackee, saltfish and the unmissable jerk chicken.
As for religion, although Christianity is the majority religion, the Rastafarian movement is quite dominant. It is a branch of Christianity that in no way recognizes Jesus as the Messiah but Rastafari Makonnen, Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia in the 20th century, as the "Jah", short for Jehovah, on Earth following a prophecy by Reverend Marcus Garvey. This movement is often considered a religion because of its rites taken from the Bible but Rastafarians, called Rastas, conceive of it as a way of life and a way of conceiving the world since its creation.
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Originally inhabited by the Arawak and Tainos, the island came under Spanish control following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1494. Many natives died of disease and the Spanish transferred African slaves to the island. Named "Santiago", the island remained a Spanish possession until 1655, when England conquered it and renamed it "Jamaica". Under British colonial rule, it became one of the world's leading sugar exporters thanks to its plantation economy based on slavery.
The British emancipated the slaves in 1838, and many of them preferred subsistence farming to plantations. From the 1840s onwards, the British used Chinese and Indians to work on the plantations. The island gained independence from the United Kingdom on 6 August 1962.
You have chosen to visit Jamaica, but you would like to to inform on the transportation, there life on site and the budget to expect? Here is the basic information to know.
Arrival airports are Montego Bay and Kingston.
The average price of a return ticket to Jamaica is €846 (from Brussels), €753 (from Paris), €610 (from Martinique/Guadeloupe).
The average price for a night in very comfortable and modern Airbnb-type accommodation is €75 per night (based on accommodation for 2-3 people).
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Jamaica's transport network is somewhat complex: in Kingston, you will find large buses that make up the public network, as well as private minibuses. In the rest of the island, it is mainly minibuses, or vans, that constantly connect the different towns, often requiring changes of vehicle. A famous bus line, Knutsfort Express, makes trips twice a day from Kingston to Montego Bay via Ocho Rios.
In order to rent a vehicle, you will need to obtain a Jamaican driving license from the rental agency. This will cost you around €10. It is possible to rent a vehicle at the airport for around €50 per day.
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